Dreadnots GFC
| Founded: | 1887 | |
|---|---|---|
| County: | Louth | |
| Colours: | Black and Red | |
| Grounds: | Páirc Dreadnots, Ganderstown, Clogherhead | |
| Coordinates: | 53°46′44″N 6°14′46″W / 53.77897°N 6.24604°W | |
| Playing kits | ||
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Dreadnots GFC is a Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club that fields gaelic football teams in competitions organised by Louth GAA. It is located in the south Louth seaside village of Clogherhead.
The club has a local rivalry with neighbours St Fechin's.[1] As of 2023, the club competes in the Louth Senior Championship and Division 1 of the county football Leagues.[2]
History
[edit]The club was founded in 1887, making it one of the oldest active GAA clubs in County Louth. In 1889, Dreadnots reached the final of the Louth Senior Football Championship, losing to Newtown Blues by 1–02 to 0–03.[3]
The 2002 arrival of former Louth inter-county star Colin Kelly from Newtown Blues helped propel Dreadnots to two Louth Intermediate Football Championship titles in 2004 and 2008.[4] In 2010, forward Páraic Smith played in the controversial 2010 Leinster Senior Football Championship Final against Meath.[5]
123 years after their first appearance in the Senior final, Dreadnots contested the 2012 decider at the Gaelic Grounds in Drogheda against reigning champions St Patrick's. Once again they were runners-up, as St Patrick's won convincingly by nine points.[6] A third visit to the county final in 2014 - this time under the management of now-retired Colin Kelly[7] - ended in defeat to the same opposition as St Patrick's prevailed by two points, 1–10 to 1–08.[8]
Honours
[edit]- Cardinal O'Donnell Cup (2): 1988,[9] 2016[10]
- Paddy Sheelan Cup (1): 2019[11]
- Louth Intermediate Football Championship (4): 1986,[12] 2000,[13] 2004,[14] 2008[15]
- Louth Intermediate Football League (6): 1979, 1981, 1985, 1995, 2004,[16] 2010[17]
- Dealgan Milk Products/Paddy Sheelan Shield (3): 1979, 1985, 2011[18]
- Louth Junior Football Championship (1): 1999[19]
- Louth Junior A Football League (1): 1976
- Kevin Mullen Shield (1): 1999
- Louth Junior 2A Football Championship (2): 1962, 1974
- Louth Junior 2A Football League (6): 1955, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1973
- Louth Junior 2B Football Championship (1): 2019[20]
- Louth Junior 2 Football League Division 4B (1): 2011
- Louth Junior 2 Football League Division 4C (1): 2005
- Louth Under-21 Football Championship (3): ‡ 1976, ‡ 1977, ‡ 2008
- Louth Minor B Football Championship (1): 2019
- Louth Minor Football League (1): 2006 ‡
‡ Shared with St Fechin's
Inter-county players
[edit]Dreadnots players who have represented Louth at senior inter-county level include:
- Denis Kelleher[21]
- Kevin Dawe[22]
- Paddy McGuigan[23]
- Derek Shevlin[24]
- Pádraig Rath[25]
- James Califf[26]
- Páraic Smith
- Anthony Williams[27]
- Liam Shevlin[28]
- Dermot Campbell[29]
- Jay Hughes[30]
References
[edit]- ^ "Fechin's featured in first TV match". Drogheda Independent. 5 August 2005.
- ^ "Louth GAA Division 1 league preview". The Argus. 21 April 2023.
- ^ "Two clubs who hardly ever lose a final". Drogheda Independent. 15 September 2000.
- ^ "Management comes naturally to Colin". Hogan Stand. 27 November 2011.
- ^ "Fitzer's boys did themselves and county proud". Hogan Stand. 30 December 2010.
- ^ "St Patrick's retain title with commanding performance". Irish Times. 8 October 2012.
- ^ "Pats crown the perfect season with League title". The Argus. 29 November 2014.
- ^ "O'Connor helps St Pat's over the line". Irish Examiner. 29 September 2014.
- ^ "Sporting headlines from the past". The Argus. 17 December 2008.
- ^ "Dreadnots finally deliver some silverware". Dundalk Democrat. 10 October 2016.
- ^ "Paddy Sheelan Cup final - Sutherland goal helps Dreadnots secure the spoils". Hogan Stand. 8 September 2019.
- ^ "'Tremendous jubilation' over Dreadnots' victory in Dunleer". Drogheda Independent. 26 October 2011.
- ^ "Dreadnots continue climb to top". Drogheda Independent. 8 September 2000.
- ^ "So near and yet so farrelly". Hogan Stand. 30 November 2004.
- ^ "Third light". Hogan Stand. 30 November 2008.
- ^ "Dreadnots are back". Hogan Stand. 30 November 2004.
- ^ "Back to Division One". Hogan Stand. 31 December 2010.
- ^ "Clear signs of progress". Hogan Stand. 27 November 2011.
- ^ "Dreadnots fancied to go from Junior to senior inside year". The Argus. 1 September 2000.
- ^ "Colin Kelly rolls back the years to win another club championship". The GAA. 8 October 2019.
- ^ "Louth and Longford stats ahead of O'Byrne Cup final". The Argus. 20 January 2023.
- ^ "Louth mourns Kevin Dawe". Hogan Stand. 17 April 2012.
- ^ "Glory In the Sun". Drogheda Independent. 12 May 2000.
- ^ "Louth make most of extra time". Irish Independent. 14 June 2004.
- ^ "Conor Grimes strikes late to give Louth Division Four title". Irish Times. 23 April 2016.
- ^ "Mickey Harte's Louth repeat the dose to defy Limerick". Irish Examiner. 2 April 2022.
- ^ "Brutal injury run has Louth defender Williams searching for a silver lining". The Argus. 22 April 2022.
- ^ "Liam Shevlin – the former Louth GAA player who has helped Westport to their first-ever Mayo SFC title". The Argus. 11 November 2022.
- ^ "Returning Dermot Campbell a survivor from Louth footballers' Páirc Uí Chaoimh wreckage". The Argus. 2 June 2022.
- ^ "Many a star – past, present and future – came out of the Louth GAA 'junior' leagues". The Argus. 5 June 2023.